Becoming a PGL instructor, Shropshire

For teenagers who have enjoyed PGL activity holidays in the past, places on PGL Leadership Challenge courses can be a useful step into the world of work or further education. The Leadership Challenge, held at Boreatton Park in Shropshire, is a one-week holiday for teenagers who want to work in the outdoor activities or education industry. It is designed to develop leadership and teamwork skills and offer a behind-the-scenes look at how PGL holidays are run. Participants complete a log book, which they can include on a CV or personal statement.• 0844 371 2424, pgl.co.uk. Weeks starting 20 and 27 July, 3, 10, 18 and 24 August; £569pp including accommodation, all meals and tuition

Crewing a sailing ship, UK and Europe

Learning to sail in the UK PR

The Ocean Youth Trust offers courses for young people to work as crew members. No prior sailing experience is required, just a "spirit of adventure" and the willingness to muck in with duties on board. These include anything from navigating and hoisting the sails to preparing meals for the rest of the crew. On most sailing trips there is a mixture of teenagers and young adults from mainstream backgrounds, alongside those who have been disadvantaged in some way, whether by illness, poverty, bereavement or family problems. Most voyages take place off the UK coast and last from two to six days. A berth costs from £190 to £600pp, depending on departure date and duration. Longer expeditions to France, Scandinavia and the Channel Islands are also available.•oyc.org.uk

Activity and leadership summer camps, Peak District

The Youth Hostel Association runs a variety of summer camps for young people, allowing them to follow interests ranging from performing arts to watersports. The upper age limit for most is 16 or 17, but the YHA also runs a Future Leader camp for 17-19-year-olds at its Edale hostel in the Peak District, which encourages participants to try challenges such as raft building and navigating to an overnight camp. They can also practise leadership skills by acting as assistant abseiling instructors.• 01629 592 530, yhasummercamps.co.uk. Camps start on 11, 18 and 25 August and cost £365, including five nights' accommodation, all activities, meals and evening entertainment

National Trust volunteer, UK

Volunteers working on a Youth Discovery Working Holiday at Craflwyn in Snowdonia, North Wales National Trust Images Stuart Cox.JPG Photograph: Stuart Cox/National Trust

National Trust Youth Discovery Holidays offer teenagers conservation work around the UK. The trips are designed for 16-18-year-olds, and duties include anything from cleaning up beaches to building dry-stone walls. The trips tend to sell out quickly – this summer's trips are already booked up – but there are places available for February half-term (15–22 February 2014) to work with rangers at the Ashridge Estate in the Chiltern Hills, clearing scrub, raking vegetation and cleaning ponds.•nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays. The Ashridge trip costs £165pp and includes meals and dorm accommodation

Language summer camps, France or Switzerland

An international summer camp can be a great way for young people to improve their language skills and make friends from other countries. Most camps take teenagers up to 17. Some of the most well-regarded are in the French and Swiss Alps – though the prices can be as steep as the mountains. A week at Camp Suisse in the Valais region of Switzerland costs £990pp but that includes full-board accommodation, language tuition (choosing between French, German and Spanish), sports and activities including husky dog sledding on a glacier. Outside of the lessons, English is the main language spoken around camp. For a more immersive experience, aimed particularly at teenagers (unlike most camps, which take children from seven and up), FIL in the foothills of the Pyrenees encourages all participants to speak French both in morning lessons and during afternoon activity sessions – which can include sailing, windsurfing and rock climbing. The cost is €1,250 for 10 days, including full-board, language workshops and activities.

Marine conservation Bahamas

An opportunity to help protect coral reefs and mangrove creeks in the Bahamas is offered on 10-day volunteering trips for teenagers with conservation charity Earthwatch. Good swimming skills are essential as participants learn how to identify fish species and study their behaviour and take measurements while snorkelling. Participants are supported by a teen team facilitator, who meets arrivals at the airport and organises social activities. They work for the Cape Eleuthera Institute and accommodation is in dormitories at its marine research facility.• 01865 318831, earthwatch.org. The 10-day trip costs £1,950, including all meals but not flights. The next departures are on 25 June and 5 July

Community volunteering and adventure, worldwide

Global Vision International is a social enterprise that supports conservation and community development projects around the world. Their "Volunteen" programme gives adventurous and independent-minded 15–17-year-olds the opportunity to travel to destinations from Asia to Central America, combining volunteering with cultural and adventure activities. This summer there's a two-week expedition to Thailand, where participants will help with teaching and improvements at an education centre in Phang Nga. At the end of the trip there's a four-day tour of beaches and islands.•gvi.co.uk. The trip departs 27 July and costs £1,150 including 24-hour on-site support, airport pick-up, shared accommodation, all meals and training. Flights extra

Surfing and teaching, South Africa

Volunteer Africa 32 Degrees South offers teenagers the opportunity to combine learning to surf with teaching computer skills to school children in the Eastern Cape. The Wild Coast Volunteer and Surf package is a new initiative from the organisation, which is part of a local adventure tour operator. Volunteers sign up for a minimum of two weeks, working for the Wild Coast Schools Project, teaching children computer literacy in a solar-powered mobile computer lab in the village of Chintsa, on a stretch of coast famous for its great beaches and surf breaks. This is followed by two weeks of surfing, including a long weekend at Jeffreys Bay.•volunteer africa.co.za. The trip costs £1,165 and includes all meals and accommodation in the volunteering section and half board on the surfing section. The minimum age is 18